Chapter 94: How could her birthday not have secured a place in her heart...?

On Lin Yao's birthday, the group returned to Lin Family Village.

"It's much better than last time." Lin Yao looked around the shelter on the back mountain, feeling much more at ease. The place was located between two mountains, in a low-lying area, making it difficult to be discovered. The only hidden danger was that it was prone to flooding during the rainy season, and in case of heavy rain, there might even be a mudslide. But in this vicinity, it was hard to find a more suitable place to hide than this for the time being.

The three siblings had just stepped out of the back mountain when they ran into two people.

Lin Demao, carrying an empty firewood basket, was hunched over with his gray hair plastered messily to his scalp. When he saw Lin Yao and the other two, the hatred in his eyes almost materialized. "Pah, bastards."

Zhu followed behind him with her head down. When she heard Lin Demao's voice, she looked up and saw them. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Although Lin Song was young, he understood the meaning of those two words. He immediately clenched his fists, his little face turning bright red: "You're not allowed to talk about us like that!"

Lin Cheng pulled Lin Song behind him, his eyes filled with suppressed anger as he looked at Lin Demao: "Grandpa, please speak with some respect."

"Respect?" Lin Demao seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, his chapped lips curving into an ugly arc. "You dare to say you deserve it? If it weren't for you bastards causing trouble in our home, would the eldest son's family have been exiled? Would my Lin family have fallen to this state today?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, taking two steps forward as if he wanted to make a move, but Lin Cheng stopped him. He could only stand there panting, his foul language continuing: "Your father should have been fed to the wolves back then, so that you wouldn't have been born and are now an eyesore like this!"

Zhu had been standing blankly to the side, but as Lin Demao's curses grew increasingly offensive, she moved her lips a few times and finally managed to say, "Old man, stop talking."

"I won't talk? I'm seething with anger!" Lin Demao suddenly turned around and glared at her, spitting all over her face. "The eldest son is the child you carried for ten months and gave birth to. He was harmed like this by them, and you're so magnanimous? You're no better than him!"

Zhu shrank back at his shout, silently turned her face away, wiped her cheek with her sleeve, and lowered her head again.

Lin Yao remained silent throughout. She ignored Lin Demao, gently patted Lin Cheng's arm to signal him not to get angry, and then pulled over the still sulking Lin Song, her voice calm and even: "Let's go."

Seeing them about to leave, Lin Demao was so angry that he jumped up and down, grabbed some pebbles from the ground and threw them at their backs: "Get out! All of you, get out!"

Lin Song glanced back and saw that Zhu was still standing there with her head down, and Lin Demao was still jumping up and down cursing. He couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Sister, are they going to the shelter with us too?"

Lin Yao patted his head but didn't answer.

Lin Cheng walked beside her, glanced at Lin Yao, and seeing that she was staring at the mountain road ahead without saying a word, he continued, "The shelter is not something that only we siblings have."

Lin Song blinked, not quite understanding.

Lin Cheng slowed down and patiently explained, "When we started construction, it was Brother Dazhuang who led all the able-bodied men in the village to build it. Chiseling stones, transporting timber, building walls—everything required everyone's help. Moreover, life in the mountains is tough; there are plenty of wild animals. Even if the shelter was built very sturdily, it wouldn't last long if only the three of us were there."

Lin Yao then added, "Most of the villagers are aware of this matter and know that this place is for emergencies. In recent days, people have been storing food and firewood there, all tacitly agreeing that if bandits really come to the village, we will run there."

Lin Cheng nodded: "If it really comes to that, we can't leave them behind."

"Why?" Lin Song frowned, still feeling angry as he recalled Lin Demao's cursing earlier. "They were so fierce."

“Everyone in the village knows about the shelter.” Lin Yao pinched the little tuft of hair on his head. “From site selection to construction, dozens of people have worked on it, and the news has spread far and wide. If bandits really come, and those two old people stay in the village, they will either be killed by the bandits, or they will be interrogated by the bandits and reveal the location of the shelter. In that case, not only us, but the whole village will suffer.”

Lin Song nodded as if he understood, his face full of struggle: "If we take them there, will they still curse at us?"

"Yes." Lin Yao looked at the muddy road beneath her feet, her voice softening. "But at least we can keep an eye on them and prevent them from causing trouble. This isn't about being soft-hearted; it's about ensuring everyone's safety."

Back home, Lin Yao scooped up a basin of warm water and washed away the stickiness from her face. The cool water invigorated her, and most of the gloom she felt in the mountains dissipated.

"Ah Yao, the noodles are ready." Lin Cheng came out of the kitchen carrying a large, rough porcelain bowl with two round poached eggs in it, sprinkled with bright green scallions. It looked delicious. "I made these noodles myself this year. Try them."

Lin Yao took the bowl, picked up a noodle with her chopsticks, blew on it, and put it in her mouth. The noodles were chewy, and the soup base was made with bone broth, fresh but not greasy. She was very surprised and looked at Lin Cheng: "It tastes even better than last year's. Your cooking skills have improved."

Lin Cheng was a little embarrassed by the compliment, "I'm glad you like it."

Lin Song ran out of his room, holding a drawing sheet in his hand, his face beaming with undisguised pride. "Sister! My birthday present is here!" He spread the drawing on the table, chin held high. "Look how well I drew it! Mr. Bai said I've improved a lot!"

The painting depicted a woman standing under a locust tree, wearing a moon-white dress, which Lin Yao recognized as the one she often wore. Next to her were the six crooked characters "Happy Birthday, Sister." However, the lines were crooked, the head was drawn like a round glutinous rice ball, and the eyes were just two black dots; to say it resembled her was really an overstatement.

But Lin Song had a "praise me" look on his face, and pointed at the locust tree in the painting: "Look at the persimmon tree, isn't it exactly the same as the one in our house!"

It turned out that the painting depicted a persimmon tree in the courtyard; she had mistaken it for a locust tree next to the restaurant.

"It's beautifully drawn." She looked up, her eyes filled with laughter, and her tone was particularly serious. "Especially the color of this dress, it's exactly the same as the one my elder sister is wearing. Song'er has such sharp eyes."

"Right!" Lin Song immediately puffed out his chest and proudly shook his head. "Mr. Bai also said I draw well!"

Lin Yao was about to praise him a few more times when there was a knock at the courtyard gate. Lin Cheng got up to open the door and saw Liu Dazhuang standing there, followed by Xu Zhiheng and Jin Yu. The two looked travel-worn, clearly having just arrived from town.

Liu Dazhuang: "I just bumped into Young Master Xu at the village entrance. I remembered you two had business dealings, and when I asked, he was indeed looking for you, so I brought him over on my way." He said, stepping aside to let him in. "I've delivered him to you. Your sister-in-law is waiting for me to eat, so I'll be going now!"

Lin Yao looked at Xu Zhiheng, about to ask his purpose, but he spoke first: "Won't you invite me in for a seat?"

"Please come in quickly." Lin Yao then came to her senses and hurriedly stepped aside to let them into the house.

After they entered the house and sat down, Lin Cheng poured water for the two of them. Xu Zhiheng got straight to the point and said, "I've come today to give you a birthday gift."

"A birthday gift?" Lin Yao was somewhat surprised and was about to wave her hand to refuse, "No need..."

"Don't rush to refuse." Xu Zhiheng interrupted her, took out a small wooden box, and handed it to her. "Take a look and then decide."

Lin Yao took the wooden box, opened it, and found a dagger inside. She drew the dagger; the blade gleamed with a cold, silvery light, its edge extremely thin and clearly very sharp—something no ordinary blacksmith could have forged. Lin Yao's eyes lit up; though she knew nothing of forging, she could tell the object was of exceptional quality.

Xu Zhiheng spoke calmly, as if he were simply handing over an ordinary object, “This knife may not be able to cut through iron like mud, but it’s enough for self-defense.”

Lin Yao sheathed the dagger and said earnestly, "Thank you. I'll take it."

Seeing that she agreed, Xu Zhiheng's eyes flashed with a smile, and he turned to give Jin Yu a wink. Jin Yu immediately placed the two food boxes she was carrying on the table. Opening one lid, she found braised duck, steamed crab meat with oranges, and lotus seedpod fish dumplings. The other box contained four kinds of pastries, with layers of flaky pastry, still steaming slightly.

Although Lin Yao had always known that Xu Zhiheng was the young master of Zhenxiulou, she had never tried the food there. She didn't go before because she was poor, as the cheapest dishes at Zhenxiulou started at one liang (a unit of weight). Later, she was too busy; she wished she could split herself into several pieces to use, so she didn't have the time or energy to appreciate the food at other restaurants.

These dishes truly opened her eyes. She had always known that her restaurant catered to the lower and middle classes, while Zhenxiulou catered to the high-end clientele. Therefore, the dishes at Zhenxiulou must be extremely exquisite, but seeing them today still left her very impressed. The exquisiteness of these dishes was something that a small food blogger like herself could not match.

Seeing the gleam in her eyes, Xu Zhiheng knew he had chosen the right dishes. "These are all signature dishes from Zhenxiulou Restaurant. Jin Yu and I often go to your restaurant to freeload, so today it's our turn to treat you. Try them and see how they compare to yours."

Looking at the table full of food, Lin Yao immediately understood that this was just an excuse he used to avoid her refusing. She smiled and raised an eyebrow: "Then I'll have to try it properly. If it can't compare to my skills, then Zhenxiulou will have to come here often to learn from me."

Lin Cheng had already brought out bowls and chopsticks and distributed them to everyone. Lin Song, standing to the side, was drooling as he looked at the pastries in the food box. Lin Yao picked up a piece of Dongpo pastry for him and then said to Xu Zhiheng, "When is your birthday? I'll definitely cook you a big meal and prepare a birthday gift for you as a return gift."

"The sixth day of the third month." Xu Zhiheng's smile deepened. This was the effect he wanted. Isn't that how feelings are cultivated through give and take? From now on, she would always remember his birthday. How could that not mean she had earned a place in his heart?

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